Social Media Audience or Community?
Every social media brand launches their social networks to an audience. It’s important to have a good understanding of your target customer when you begin the marketing campaign or launch the social network so that your audience is well-defined and your content is relevant to that audience. But social media success comes when that audience becomes a community. Let’s look at this analogy a little further before we apply it to social media. An audience is actively listening to what you have to say. There has been a catalyst, an interest, a question, a need, or some trigger that put...
read moreHow To Create a Twitter List
Personally, Twitter is probably my favorite social media network. I love the power behind its Search feature, the ability to connect to others who might otherwise be “out of reach” to me, the real-time nature of the content, etc. But when I share that with some folks, they often complain about the “noise” on Twitter. “There are just too many people tweeting and I can’t deal with that,” goes the complaint. Unlike Facebook, Twitter does give you everything you sign up for – if you Follow someone on Twitter, you can see everything they tweet, as...
read moreSocial Holidays
Social media is great for marketing. We talk about that all of the time. But as we give thanks for our family and friends, we want to point out one of the more obvious benefits of social media. It’s social. At a time when so many families are spread out for work or military service, we often lose touch with those we love most. At the holidays, we plan big meals and special celebrations, but often only some of our family members are able to join us. So how do we stay connected to our own family and friends – to those who have shaped and transformed our lives in ways far too...
read moreConverting Goals Into Value
Pete Cashmore, founder of Mashable, has said, “Attention is the new currency.” That is certainly true for marketers. When folks pay attention to what you’re saying – via any method of marketing – they are giving up time to listen to you. Time is a valuable commodity, and therefore if you’re using social media for marketing, make sure it’s worthwhile for others. Are you offering value? Are you “being” social or just “doing” social? There is a difference, and it will show in everything you’re doing online. It’s important to have specific goals with your marketing, and...
read moreTop 3 Things I Love About Twitter
Over and over again, I speak with business owners who don’t really “get it” when it comes to Twitter. Perhaps they are over-thinking it, or perhaps they haven’t been able to take the time to play with it a bit, but Twitter is one of my favorite social media platforms for a variety of reasons. However, if I had to pare my reasons down to just three – in order to keep it simple to experiment with – my Top 3 would include these things: 1. Hashtags – A hashtag (#) lets you find and connect quickly with others around a topic or event. The use of hashtags can’t be undervalued if you...
read moreFriday Flick – Measuring Social Media
Have you ever wondered what social media managers and social media marketers are being told about measuring ROI or social media? Today’s Friday Flick is a quick “take-away” from a meeting I attended this morning where folks and businesses just like Polka Dot Impressions were there to talk “measuring.” For the purposes of our discussion, we defined ROI as “Revenue – Costs = ROI” and the bottom line is that it varies for each business. How you measure ROI depends on whether or not you are monitoring AND measuring the things you’re doing in...
read moreWarning: This Is a Social Media Rant!
Yes, I do actually read the tweets of those that I follow on Twitter. Yes, I do actually care about the Fans on my Facebook page and whether or not my topics are interesting for them to engage with. Yes, I realize that this means I may or may not have huge numbers of Followers or Fans, but those with whom I engage have offered something of value to me, and I am trying to return the favor. That is in fact, one of the core values of Polka Dot Impressions. Thus, when I saw the tweet below, I was shocked. I get it. Numbers sell. It’s like sex in movies and scandal in the music industry. Many...
read moreTime for Twitter
Are you afraid of Twitter? Think it’s “run over” by teenagers who vent their opinions all the time? If you do, you are missing a valuable source of information and connections. Twitter is definitely not just for teenagers! The most recent upgrades on Twitter have included some nice features and if you’re a SmartPhone mobile user, Twitter is a piece of cake. With an app, it’s quick and easy to stay up to date via Twitter and the Search, Connect, and Discover options are all there! Here’s a suggestion for getting used to or comfortable with Twitter. Create your profile, and please,...
read moreFacebook Fan Page or Group?
Have you ever wondered whether you should be using a Facebook Business Page or a Group for your organization? There is a fairly simple question that I think will help you decide the better route for you. I’m not a big fan of groups on Facebook, unless it’s under the right circumstances. The major factor is based on how you answer this question. Do you intend to communicate publicly or not? Groups on Facebook are great for private conversation, but private doesn’t mean inappropriate. It means limited in scope. Fan pages, or business pages as they are called, are better for public...
read more5 Social Media Lessons from Justin Bieber
You may or may not know who Justin Bieber is, but I can assure you, many, many people do. At 17, he is one of the most popular singers in the world. His rise to fame is among the most explosive ever, and while no one can promise you the same results, there are some social media lessons anyone can learn from him. 1. Start Small Justin Bieber began by putting up some homemade videos on YouTube at the age of 12. All he wanted to do, according to his own bio on Facebook, was to share some of the competition clips with friends and family who weren’t able to attend the competitions he was...
read moreSocial Media Animals
In a consulting conversation with a business owner recently, an expression came out of my mouth that started my mind down an intriguing path. I casually said, “Well, each one’s a different animal,” as I was attempting to describe the difference between the “big 4” social media platforms that overwhelmed him. What if they were described as animals? Would that be easier to help business owners make informed decisions? Our forte at Polka Dot Impressions is working with business owners who are too busy to understand or use social media for their own businesses, but they need to be...
read moreRelationship Marketing
Whew, what a week so far! Things have been up, down and sideways. The phone has rung off the wall, and then gone dead silent. Emails have “ding-dinged” as they’ve hit the Inbox, Facebook pages and groups have had constant Notification alerts, and just about the time I clear one of them, another one pops up! Twitter messages seem good, and worth some attention, but who has time to read them all? Billing has come and gone for the month, but accounts are still outstanding, so now collections begin, and I haven’t checked my LinkedIn groups yet. Customers want some attention; inventory...
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